Weird ceph behaviour

[Shoggoths]

Hello gang,

I have my cephs since a few years now (let say 8-10 years). I must grow them under light because my widowsill doesn't get enough light. So I try to mimic outdoor conditions to get my ceph to bloom. And it's hard.

According to my understanding, ceph flowers in Spring.

Last Winter, I drop my light time to 10 hours. My ceph have fallen dormant. They weren't looking that good in Spring so I gradually crank the ligth time from 10 hours to 18 hours. I reach 18 hours in Septembre and now my ceph are growing nicely but Winter is coming so I started droping the light time from to 16 hours in the last weeks. To my surprise, one of my ceph is blooming.

Long story short, I would like to know if some of you also have ceph blooming at the moment. If so, is it happening every year ? If my ceph were still on the Australia time zone, they should flower in February ... I must admit I let them dry a bit a few weeks ago so perhaps they got stressede enough to bloom.

Any insight are welcomed.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

The ecology of the Albany Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus follicularis) - Fierce Flora

The Albany Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus follicularis) is a carnivorous plant endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. The species has specific environmental requirements that make it naturally uncommon, including reliance on natural fire cycles for its ecology. Cephalotus is distributed...

www.fierceflora.com

Flowering after fires.

 

[Shoggoths]

I could try that

Really interesting site.

 

[cpgeek]

I don't have any flowering atm. In my experience, it would be odd for them to do so at this time of year.

Mine grow on a constant 12 on/off light cycle in my unheated basement, where they bloom in early to mid spring when temps start rising. When I grew them on a cold window sill with southern exposure, they'd bloom also in spring. So it seems that a period of cold followed by warming temps (and perhaps photoperiod) is a main trigger.

 

[Shoggoths]

I don't have any flowering atm. In my experience, it would be odd for them to do so at this time of year.

Thank you very much for your observation, I find it odd too. Because I wish to know if my set-up is high enough for the flower stalk, I'll let it grow unless it abort by itself. If I follow your thought, it's even weirder because currently the temperature in my grow room is decreasing but it makes sense.

I have better success growing ceph from seeds when I put the pot on a windowsill in Winter. Another clue perhaps ...

Didn't know you could get ceph to flower with a constant light cycle. Maybe I didn't put my efforts in the right place. This Winter, I'll put a few pots near the windows where the temperature get cooler and put them back in the growing area in Spring to see if that trigger flowering.